


Worth It

by sunandsana



Series: Afire Love [7]
Category: NCT (Band), The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff with a Sprinkle of Angst, M/M, exhausted boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28851303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunandsana/pseuds/sunandsana
Summary: Someone makes me happier than I’ve ever been. Is that ok?
Relationships: Son Youngjae | Eric/Na Jaemin
Series: Afire Love [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079108
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote these 2 last night and today so they’re abut rushed but I think they fit well at this point in the story. Hope you enjoy!

Jaemin was exhausted. Not physically, mentally. Being an idol was a 24 hour job and he barely had the social battery to deal with 12. And listen, he knew what he was getting into when he became a trainee. No one goes into this job thinking they’re going to be able to get by with not being completely surrounded all the time. But was it really too much to ask for? Just a few hours of time in which he could breathe on his own? Apparently it was. 

All 23 members gathered in the studio, filming a video for their upcoming relay series. He was in the back, nursing his injuries and trying to be invisible. His leg was still broken, something he couldn’t help but be angry about every time he remembered. He couldn’t dance and could barely walk up the stairs without his lungs fighting with him. Overall, it wasn’t fun. But he shoved himself in the corner and hoped nobody would notice. 

The group got crazy as they opened the boxes with their times, Jaemin not even opening his own. He glanced to his right when he heard Sungchan whining about his chosen time and leant down for the other to hear him. 

“Hey, you want to switch?” Sungchan turned to him with a happy smile. 

“Yeah, hyung. That would be great.” 

Jaemin gave him a small smile from under his mask and swapped their boxes. He moved back quickly into his position against the wall and let the next 20 minutes pass by. He was grateful that no one tried to steal his time, not willing to get up and actually have any camera time. They quickly(not really) finished up. Jaemin waited for them all to leave before getting up, grabbing his crutches and following beside Jisung who had waited for him. 

“How’s your leg hyung?” Jisung asked. 

Jaemin sighed quietly. “Doing ok I guess.” 

Jisung nodded. “I know it sucks not being able to dance.” He paused as he called the elevator, them being the last 2 on the floor. “But it really flies by quickly.” He attempted to comfort him. 

Jaemin looked at him fondly. “Thanks Jisung-ah. I appreciate the support.” 

They got on the elevator and stayed silent for a while before Jaemin spoke up again. 

“So how are things with Jay?” 

Jisung instantly whined but the huge smile on his face gave him away. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Um, pretty good...I think. We’re planning to hang out at his dorm next week.” 

Jaemin nodded, secretly happy that Jisung was opening up about his relationship. It had been quite a shock to wake up from his coma and meet Jay as Jisung’s boyfriend but he’d quickly gotten used to the other boy. He was good for Jisung. 

“That’s good.” A pause. “It’s nice to have someone, isn’t it?” 

Jisung exited the elevator and kept his hand by the door to make sure it gave him enough time to get out. He looked at Jaemin knowingly. “Yeah, it really is. It helps that he’s an idol too. We have a lot in common.” 

They quickly got into the car, the others leaving the middle seats for them since they were both dealing with injuries. Jaemin glanced at the back and found Jeno and Renjun deep in conversation while Donghyuck in the front was halfway asleep. 

He turned back to Jisung who called his name as the car exited the garage. 

“Is that how you feel with Eric hyung?” The maknae asked quietly, genuinely seeking an answer. 

“Like what?”

“Like he understands you more than you understand yourself.” 

Jaemin took a minute to respond back. “We’ve been together for a while now, I’ve forgotten how it feels to be without him. Being with Eric is like….a breath of fresh air. Like wearing pajamas after a long day of schedules or like taking a shower after practice. It’s just easy, and I think that makes being with him so much better.” 

Jisung nodded but he looked as if he had another question. 

“Ask me what’s on your mind. You look constipated.” He huffed a laugh. 

“Do you ever think that the risk of being together is too high?” 

Jaemin made a confused sound. “Risk? In what way?” 

Jisung scrunched his nose in thought. “Like, we’re always busy, right? And because Eric hyung is an idol too, he’s busy as well. So what I’m asking is do you ever think that you’ll get to a point where being together, for as short a time as that usually is, will hurt more than it helps? Is risking the heartbreak worth it in the long run?” 

Silence ensued in the van. Jeno and Jaemin had paused their conversation to hear theirs. Even Donghyuck woke up from his half slumber to listen in. Jaemin looked at Jisung who looked incredibly distressed. He let the silence fester for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. 

“I think,” he paused, “that sometimes, it’s better to let yourself take the risk. Even if that means the possibility of you seeing each other once every 6 months. Even if that means short messages and even shorter phone calls. Even if it means petty fights and jealous fits and insecure thoughts. Love isn’t easy. And god knows being an idol in love isn’t easy. This job sucks the soul out of you, chews it and then spits it out. But.” He looked out the window, at the moving buildings and people, and thought of his boyfriend. Of a man who brought him so much joy he wouldn’t even be able to put it into words. Eric, who stood by him through a rocky start to their relationship. Eric, a man just as scared as he is but not scared enough to let a forced coming out be their downfall. He thought about his adorable boyfriend who he would fight tooth and nail for. “But, when you find someone who you love so dearly, who you can’t even stand the thought of never seeing again. It’s easier to hold on, no matter how much it hurts, because at the end of the day, love is worth all the pain and suffering.” 

A sniffle sounded from the backseat. Jaemin turned to see Jeno crying into Renjun's shoulder. 

“Wow, that was actually really beautiful Jaemin.” Donghyuck exclaimed, a silently nodding manager beside him. 

Jamein laughed incredulously, looking to Jisung who smiled at him with a megawatt smile. 

“It was nothing.” He insisted. 

“Sure hyung.” Jisung responded. 

Jaemin simply rolled his eyes and took out his phone from his pocket as they teased him. A smiling face screensaver greeted him. His screensaver was a picture of Eric he'd taken on their 2nd date at the beach. Eric had a goofy face directed towards the camera, a stupid flower hat on his head. He couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face. 

Yeah, he thought. Eric was worth it all.


	2. Chapter 2

Eric startled awake from his slumber as the plane landed and everyone started clapping. He heard his manager laugh as the pilot started making an announcement over the speakers. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to LAX. Local time is 2:36 pm and the temperature is 87 degrees fahrenheit. Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign turns off. We look forward to you joining us again on Korean Airlines. Have a nice trip.” 

Within 30 minutes there were off the plane, through security and waiting for his luggage. When they were done with that, the 2 of them walked out towards arrivals. 

Eric looked around for his family and eventually spotted them holding a sign with his name on it. His mom waved eagerly and he ditch his manager to walk over to them quickly. 

“Hey guys.” He said as he stopped in front of them, pulling his mom into a hug as his dad pat his back. His sister stood off to the side and he pulled her into a hug as well. 

“Long time no see brat.” She teased, ruffling his hair. 

He pulled away and rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Yoona.” 

“I’m older than you, show some respect.” She spoke as his manager finally caught up and greeted his parents. 

“We’re in America, no honorifics here for you.” Eric darted to the side to avoid her punch. 

“Kids, stop fighting. Eric just landed, let’s get along.” 

Yoona let it go but glared at him with no heat behind their moms back. He laughed and smiled mischievously at her. They all left the airport and headed to their house. His manager was going to be having lunch with them and then staying in a nearby hotel so as to not intrude on Eric’s family time. He was grateful for that since he hadn’t seen his family for almost a whole year. 

He settled into a seat next to sister and pulled his phone out to check his notifications. His members were as usual texting in the group chat, sending stupid memes and blackmail pictures. He laughed at them but didn’t scroll through lost. Eric switched to a different chat and a small smile made its way into his face. Jaemin had sent him a sleepy picture of him sending a heart to the camera. Eric messaged him back with a message to let him know he’d made it safely and that he missed him already. 

“Who you texting?” 

Eric’s face shot up and he saw his sister leaning over his shoulder to look at his phone. 

“Stop being so nosy.” 

She ignored him and laughed instead. “It must be that boyfriend of yours. What was his name again? Jimin? Jaehyun?” 

Eric flicked her arm in retaliation. “Stop acting like our names weren’t in the news for months. His name is Jaemin stupid.” 

“Ah, that reminds us.” His dad called from the driver's seat. “When are we meeting this Jaemin boy? I need to meet the boy who stole my little Eric’s heart.” 

Eric groaned. “Dad, I told you not to call me your little Eric. And you know we’re both busy, it’s hard to find a time to get him to meet you guys.” 

Eric’s mom looked back at him with a sweet smile. “He’s quite handsome isn’t he? That photoshoot you did for vogue was quite cute.” 

“You saw that?” He knew his mom looked up all his photos but he’d been hoping she hadn’t seen those. 

“Of course I have.” She said like he was an idiot. “You make a good looking couple.” 

Eric blushed as his sister cackled at him. “I’ll see if we can figure something out.” 

His mom nodded in agreement and turned back to turn the radio up. They spent the next hour jamming to pop songs as they sat in LA traffic. 

Eric sighed in relief as they got out of the car in front of his childhood home. His father told him to go ahead as he got his luggage so Eric practically tan inside and plopped face down onto the couch. He listened as they moved around, setting the luggage down, talking with his manager and turning the tv on. Eventually, he decided to get up and shower. The airplane scent had attached itself to his clothes and he couldn’t stand it. 

“I’m gonna go shower and relax. I’ll come down for lunch.” 

His parents acknowledged him and he dragged his stuff up the stairs. He picked out some lounge clothes and took a quick shower, feeling ten times better almost immediately. Eric left the bathroom as he continued drying his hair with a towel when his phone started ringing. He picked it up and happily noted that it was his boyfriend video calling him. He answered and was greeted by a beaming Renjun. He laughed in confusion. 

“Hello. You aren’t Jaemin.” 

Renjun laughed. “I’m definitely not Jaemin. He told me to see if you’d answer.” The other boy looked somewhere behind the camera before turning back. “He’s coming back. I’m happy you had a safe trip.” He said as he gave Jaemin the phone. 

“Thank you.” Eric shouted to be heard as Renjun left the screen and presumably the room. His boyfriend smiled at him through the phone. 

“Hey Eric. How was your flight?” He spoke as he set the phone up against his computer. 

Eric mirrored his action, placing his phone on his desk, to finish his after shower routine. “It was good, slept for most of it.” 

Jaemin hummed. “I’m glad, can’t have you getting in danger without me there.” 

Eric laughed as he applied his moisturizer liberally. “Oh what would I do without you, my savior.” 

Jaemin put on a fake humbled face. “You’d perish.” 

Eric cackled, staying silent for a moment. Jaemin watched him with rapt attention causing him to blush slightly. 

“What are you looking at?” 

“Your handsome face.” 

Eric rolled his eyes. “Why are you flirting? We’re already dating.” 

Jaemin looked at him, offended. “Babe, just because we're dating doesn’t mean I can’t flirt with you. I have to keep you on your toes.” 

“Oh, my bad. Continue.” Eric appeased him. 

Jaemin pouted. “You ruined it.” 

Eric opened his mouth to answer when a knock on the door startled him. He looked up as the door opened to reveal his sister. 

“Lunch is ready.” 

Eric nodded but she didn’t move to leave. She glanced at his phone and smirked. 

“Is that lover boy? Can I say hi?” 

Eric started disagreeing but once again, she ignored him. She pushed his shake out of the way and knelt down until she was within frame. 

“Hello! You must be Jaemin.” She switched to korean quickly. 

Jamein looked startled for a moment before he smiled at her brightly. “That’s me. You’re Yoona, right?” 

Yoona's smile increased, if that was even possible. “Yup. I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“Only good things, I hope.” 

Yoona laughed. “Mostly. Eric is quite secretive though so I’m missing some details.” 

“He is pretty private. Well, as private as he can be with us being out to the whole world.” 

She nodded seriously. “It’s ok, we have plenty of time to get to know each other.” 

“Don’t we have to go eat lunch?” Eric interjected. 

Yoona looked back at him before sighing, defeated. She turned back to Jaemin. “It was nice meeting you. Hopefully we can meet soon.” 

Jaemin smiled at her but there was a hint of a glint in his eyes that Eric didn’t understand. “Likewise.” 

She learnt to leave before turning back once more. “Come on, you know how mom gets when we keep her waiting.” 

Eric nodded and watched as she left. He turned back to his smirking boyfriend and groaned. “Sorry about her. She’s so annoying.” 

Jaemin laughed. “It’s ok, it’s nice that she cares enough to meet me, even if it’s just through the phone. It must be nice to have siblings.” 

Eric smiled at him. “It’s nice sometimes. But I really do have to go now. Have fun with your schedule today.” 

“Will do. I love you.” 

“Love you too. Talk to you later.” 

Eric closed the phone all with a wistful sigh and grabbed his phone before walking down quickly. He entered the kitchen to see his mom had made him all his favorites. 

“Thanks for the food mom.” 

She smiled at him. “No problem honey. You’re still growing, you need lots of food.” 

They all sat down and spoke about random things. They told him about what they’d been up to and in turn he told them about what he’d been doing in Korea. 

“We’ve been working on a full length album so it’s taking longer. I’m excited though, I think it’s gonna do good.” 

His manager agreed. “They’re all working incredibly hard. Eric especially.” 

“It's nothing.” He tried to divert the attention. 

His sister smiled at him. “You’ve been working so hard, take some credit.” 

Eric relented. They were silent for a while before she started speaking again. 

“I spoke to Eric’s boyfriend on the phone.” 

“Oh?” Their dad asked. 

“Yup. He’s even better looking than those pictures, mom.” 

Eric glared at her. “Hey, get your own boyfriend. That one is mine.” 

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m surprised that you managed to snag him. You are the ugly sibling after all.” 

“Ugly my ass. You haven’t had a boyfriend in years. You’re just jealous.” 

“Language.” 

“Sorry mom.” They said in unison. 

“Was he nice, Yoona?” 

She nodded as she played some more rice for herself. “Yeah.” 

“That’s good. We couldn’t want Eric to fate some hooligan.” 

“Mom.” Said boy whined as she just laughed at his pain. 

“Don’t mom me. Only polite boys get to date my baby.” 

His manager coughed to get their attention. “If you don’t mind me interjecting, I can reassure you that Jamein is incredibly polite. He’s well mannered and is very clearly in love with your son. So you don’t have to worry, he’s in good hands.” 

Eric smiled to himself at his manager's words. The other man was like a second father figure so it meant a lot that he felt that way about his boyfriend. 

The rest of dinner went by quickly after that. Eric offered to clean up but was denied as his mom sent him to get some rest. 

He was lying and scrolling through Twitter when his mom came in and sat next to him. They sat in silence for a while before she spoke up. 

“How have you really been, Eric-ah?” 

Eric looked up at her. “What do you mean?” He feigned ignorance. 

Her smile remained gentle, comforting in the way only a mom could be. “You’ve been through a lot in the last 6 months. Let me in, I’m here to listen.” 

They sat in silence for a while. Eric tried to figure out his thoughts while his mom patiently brushed his hair out of his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears started gathering. He heard a whimper leave his mouth unintentionally. 

“Oh, my poor baby.” His mom whispered, gathering him into her embrace as Eric finally started sobbing into her shoulder. 

They sat like that for a while, Eric shaking through his crying and his mom shushing him gently until he was able to start speaking. 

“I’m so tired eomma.” He whispered into the room. 

“I know. I know.” 

It took him another minute to calm down enough to unload his baggage on her. “The accident messed me up so badly. The anxiety I feel when he goes anywhere is insane, like every time is gonna be the last time I see him. He’s basically completely healed now but whenever he so much as winces from the smallest amount of pain my heart aches. And don’t even get me started on us coming out. Do you know how hard it is to find yourself in that situation? No one cares that we deserved some privacy, they only cared about their next big story. They were so willing to destroy our careers while my boyfriend suffered in a hospital bed with what seemed like a million tubes attached to his body. Thankfully the reception was positive but what if it wasn’t? What if we’d been forced to leave our jobs? What if Jaemin woke up to a mess and a ruined career?” 

His mom pulled his head up to look him in the eyes. “You know it wouldn’t have been your fault even if that had happened? They violated your privacy, that’s not something you could be blamed for.” 

“You sound like Jaemin.” 

She chuckled. “He must be a smart man then.” 

Eric nodded. “He’s a genius. He may not seem like it but I’m always in awe of his knowledge.” 

“Back to what you were saying, it’s unfortunate that you were out in that situation. But it isn’t all bad.” She paused for a moment. “I won’t lie, when you first mentioned it, I was concerned.” 

“You were?” Eric asked, unaware that she’d felt like that. 

She nodded. “I was so scared you’d get your heart broken. No parent wants to see that but I knew I had to let you experience it no matter the risk. You were so happy and it made me happy in return. When we heard about the accident, all my fears came back. But you were strong, both of you were, and you came out stinger together. You have an unbreakable bond, and that’s worth all the pain in the world baby.” 

“Is that how you feel about dad?” 

His mom laughed as he moved from her shoulder, wiping the last of his tears with his hands. 

“You’re dad and I love each other very much. But I think what you have is on another level.” 

Eric smiled at her words, going over them in his head. “I think you’re right. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.” 

“I think you should talk to him about your worries. Communication is key in these situations. Who knows, maybe he feels the same. Regardless, I think he’s worth it. 

Eric nodded as she stood up. She knelt down to give him a kiss on the forehead. 

“Don’t let your thoughts take over your life.” 

“I’ll try.” 

“That’s the most I can expect from you.” 

She left with one last smile. Talking to his mom always made him feel better. He would definitely take her advice. He thought of Jaemin. His sweet Jaemin who deserved nothing but the best but constantly got dealt life’s worse hands. Jaemin, who despite everything still managed to smile and make Eric the happiest he’s ever been. He thought of the difficulties they’d gone through as a couple and smiled to himself. Yeah. Jaemin was worth it.


End file.
